Brands' hits and misses on the death of Queen Elizabeth II

Date 23.09.22
Written by admin

They say that sometimes it is better to speak little and appear unfit than to speak a lot
and dispel doubts. This sentence describes very well with the media whirlwind that has
lead to the death of Elizabeth II and the reaction of the brands. It has been almost
two weeks, and in this period of recollection and mourning, some of them brands have made mistakes of communication. Others have succeeded with aseptic and simple messages.

Others have directly ignored their responsibility as brands and have omitted the
condolences. However, it is important to know that everything, including silence, is a brand positioning.

Why is everyone talking about this?

The United Kingdom, with an imperial past and an identity so closely linked to the monarchy, was shaken by the death of this iconic figure of the 20th century. It was not unusual to find a certain sense of disorientation in society. After all, she was the queen of Churchill, born in 1874, and that of the new premier, Liz Truss, born in 1975.

This long career has left its mark on a country proud of its symbols. This pride has prompted some brands to showcase their sincere condolences in social networks. Or its sinister version, linking some advertising action to the death of the British monarch.

What have the brands done?

Most of the brands have participated with discretion. As if it were a corporate protocol, they mentioned the person's name and a simple condolence message. However, others have decided to go a step further.
Conversations have also arisen around the brands that have marked Elizabeth II's life, especially in clothing and beauty.

Fred Perry's post on Instagram

On the day of the funeral itself most of the brands refrained from making
no communication. With the country at a standstill, it does not seem that the consumer would pay attention to a message or posts on social networks either. From the day of the monarch's death until the funeral, brands stopped publishing and
wore a black logo as a sign of general mourning.

Brands with British savoir-faire.

to participate correctly in this historic moment. An iconic Great
Britain brand like Rolls Royce published an image in black with the company's logo and a simple message. Land Rover did the same, highlighting in its text the values that characterized the monarch and with which they feel identified.. British Airways, Burberry, Harrods, Tesco or HSBC have been other traditional British companies that have said goodbye to Elizabeth II from heartfelt comments on their social networks.

Rolls Royce post on Instagram

Land Rover post on Instagram

Other brands have directly stopped publishing on social networks as a sign of
respect. After all, if stores have been closed, it makes sense that communication activity should also stop for a few days. This category includes iconic brands from the Anglo-Saxon world such as KitKat, Virgin, Marmite and Guinness.

It is also important to note that some advertisers have refrained from making any commentbut have continued to publish content. Probably because they have brand values opposed to the institution, the most notable case being that of Dr.Martens. We are talking about a brand linked to counterculture and underground. We must not forget that for others the British monarchy has been a symbol of colonial oppression and the status quo in the metropolis. ASOS has also acted along these lines.

Adapting the message

Other brands have decided to go a little further, but within the bounds of good
taste and consistency. We are talking about advertisers who came up with a creative or ingenious way to say goodbye to the queen, without putting too much focus on his own business.

For example, Playmobil wanted to bid farewell to the monarch by turning her into a figure from
the company, a sympathetic action that doesn't quite seem like an action that is
commercial at all.

Playmobil post

For its part, Penguin Random House also wanted to say goodbye

more personalized and published an article commenting on its relationship with reading and its impact on literature.

Article by Penguin Random House

Even the Simpsons wanted to honor the Queen's legacy in their own way, sharing a tweet featuring the Queen's appearance in an episode of the series, characterized as an iconic yellow character.

Between self-promotion and bad taste

So far, all the initiatives have been successful, within good taste. The most daring ones have been able to dare without focusing attention on the brand itself. Other brands have understood this completely backwards. Let's take a look at some examples of this peculiar hall of shame.

The Crossfit gym decided it couldn't keep quiet in the face of such a national mourning situation. So it decided to launch a workout named after the queen to honor her. This maelstrom of bad branding decisions culminated with the inclusion of "one minute of rest in silence between sets" in the workout. Undoubtedly a masterclass in all the wrong things to do.

Controversial post from Crossfit UK

For its part, the Met Office weather service surprised when it announced that it would discontinue its content calendar to publish only certain periodic alerts.

This caused the bewilderment of users, who do not fully understand how not issuing weather forecasts is a form of respect.

Tweet from political analyst Owen Jones

In general, this type of response has caused controversy on social networks. To many it has seemed unnecessary and a way to "jump on the bandwagon" certain publications of brands totally disconnected from the institution. Multiple fast food chains have appeared on the scene, with the obvious desire to figure in this conversation and get traffic and organic growth.

Examples of controversial posts by fast food brands

Perhaps the performance of outdoor advertising companies that manage mupis or marquees is also being somewhat excessive. It is not uncommon to wander through streets and shopping malls and find static displays of Isabel II instead of the usual ads. The image is a bit dystopian and reminds us of 1984, since everywhere you look there is the omnipresent effigy of the Queen.

Advertising displays on public thoroughfares

And, what does the average Briton think?

The communication on the death of Queen Elizabeth II has generated controversy in the British Isles, so research centers such as YouGov have launched some surveys about it. Among the most interesting data we find that 58% of respondents think that the messages of the brands were motivated by public relations. Only 28% thought they were sincere and from the heart.

Moreover, 69% of them acknowledge having seen these messages, which have gone completely unnoticed by only 17%.

However, the consumer has understood that there are limits and unwritten rules to this. Most think that the brands suitable for appropriate speech are those that have a royal license (they are or have been suppliers to the royal family), tourist attractions and supermarkets. In the opposite case we find that lingerie, sex toys, gambling and fast food brands are perceived as unsuitable for the context.

Conclusions

Now we observe from a distance the paralysis of an entire country and how the protocol of action is marking the day to day life of the British people. And of the brands. If we have learned anything from these days, it is that it is better to observe a minute's silence or offer a condolence that goes unnoticed, rather than draw attention to ourselves.

Does my consumer demand a position on this issue? Does the world gain anything from corporate statements that take stock of this figure? These are questions that should be reviewed before considering communicative actions. The reality is that few people have missed an impromptu post on this topic. In fact, not even brands that have deliberately omitted it, such as ASOS or Dr. Martens, have suffered a response on the Internet.

In this sense, the comedian Gianmarco Soresi pointed out, "It is very rare that companies do evaluate the death of the Queen. No one will wake up tomorrow like: why didn't Heinz say anything?"